Ninja

During my senior year of college, I went on a health kick and decided I needed a blender. After a good deal of research, I settled on the Vitamix 5200. At $449, the entry-level 5200 was expensive, but I'd seen that baby in action at Whole Foods demonstration, and I was hooked. You can use it to make ice cream, for goodness sake. Ice cream. From a blender. Because I was vocal about my intentions, my grandmother promised to buy me one for graduation. It never happened. Although still Vitamix-less, my travails blessed me with knowledge of the best blenders at the entry level, mid-range, and high-end price ranges.

The Ninja Professional Blender ($95) doesn’t get credit in our book for being the first product to bring Ninjutsu into the kitchen — that honor stays with our trusty Ninjabread men. Still, its unique six blade technology and 1000 watts of power are quite deadly to anything you feed it. That’s because, unlike typical blenders...